Encouraging kids to become active and stay active from an early age is something that Garmin is taking seriously – at least where Marvel's Spider-Man is concerned.
The company teamed up with Marvel to create the Garmin vívofit jr. 2, a kid's fitness tracker designed to create an experience that combines activity and adventure.
In combination with the Web Warriors: A Spider-Man Adventure app, the fitness tracker provides a comic book-style experience in which kids can set activity goals and make adventures, games, gems and step icons come to life.
"The Web Warriors: A Spider-Man Adventure, kids will unfold new adventures and explore different dimensions of the Spider-Verse. They'll soar high above the city alongside Spider-Man, fight Vulture with the help of unexpected allies, and track down the Green Goblin once and for all," Garmin states.
"The more they meet – and exceed – their activity goals, the more of the story they'll get to see. In addition to uncovering additional adventures with Marvel's Spider-Man, kids can gain access to fun games and more. To collect gems and get more chances to play games, kids will need to keep logging those active minutes.
To keep kids on task, fitness facts are even integrated into the story to help build healthy habits.
There's no calorie counting or tracking weight loss goals in these fitness trackers – instead it's about encouraging kids to move around.
"The Spider-Man experience, both the band and the mobile app adventure, lets kids dive into the imaginary Super Hero world through physical activity," says Garmin's vice president of global consumer sales.
The fitness bands are durable and feature etched Marvel Spider-Man designs, they are swim-friendly, feature a customisable colour screen, and have a battery life of more than a year – or so Garmin claims.
The trackers also record steps, sleep, and active minutes. Kids can sync with friends or themselves for timed step competitions. Even parents can get involved if they have a Toe-to-Toe Connect IQ app and a compatible device.
Parents can also monitor their child's activity from a compatible smart device. They can view their child's activity, assign chores, and schedule reminder alerts that show up on their child's device. Task timers help kids know how much time they have left for each chore.
For added incentives, when kids receive and complete a given chore, parents can reward them with virtual coins that can be redeemed for agreed-upon rewards. The app allows for multiple profiles, so parents and siblings with compatible Garmin devices can have their steps listed on the step leaderboard, promoting a healthy and fit lifestyle for the whole family, Garmin says.
"With an all-new hit console video game and feature film – it's a big year for our favorite web-slinging Super Hero," comments Kyle Laughlin, senior vice president, Games and Interactive Experiences, Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products.
"Marvel's Spider-Man is a great addition to our successful line of characters and stories that are inspiring kids to get active.
The vívofit jr.2 featuring Marvel's Spider-Man retails for NZ$149.
Garmin also has a line of Disney, Avengers, and Star Wars fitness trackers and apps.
